Baseball Hall Of Fame / Cooperstown NY Golf Weekend
Cooperstown, NY
T&L Golf
ON DECK
Oh yeah. While in Cooperstown you may want to check out the Baseball Hall Of Fame 800-425-5633.
WHERE TO PLAY (Golf, not baseball):
Leatherstocking GC, Cooperstown
1909, Devereaux Emmet
Blue 6324, 70.8, 135, 72
White 6053, 69.7, 132, 72
Fees: ~$80 Wknd Peak
About 90 miles from Albany Airport via I-90 & local roads
T&L Golf Review, Leatherstocking GC: Huge elevation changes, false fronts and heavily guarded tabletop greens place a premium on strategy and course management. The 4 finishing holes hug the shore of Lake Otsego, with a tributary traversing the 17th fairway and an island tee box leading to the dramatic 18th, a par 5 curling around Black Bird Bay inlet. This picturesque course will trick you enough to make you thirst for revenge.
Ostego GC
T&L Golf Review: 9 miles out of town, one of the 10 oldest golf courses in the country, the OGC was laid out in 1894 by members Henry Wardwell and Arthur Ryerson, whose great-grandson still runs the place. Similar in feel to Leatherstocking, but without as many uneven lies or tricky greens, the OGC rolls along the northern edge of Lake Otsego, affording water views from 6 of the 9 holes. This layout, thick with old-growth trees, connotes authority. It's a true sleeper.
STAYING
Not all of Cooperstown's 400,000 annual visitors can stay at the Otesaga (800-348-6222). But you should try. Fresh from a $34 million restoration, the 92-year-old grand hotel features a sumptuous dining room and ballroom, and a white-columned veranda overlooking the lake, pool and golf course. The Otesaga also manages the Cooper Inn (607-547-2567), a Federal-style manor house on Chestnut Street. Other gracious options include The Inn at Cooperstown (607-547-5756) and the Overlook B&B (607-547-2019).
EATING
You won't find a better dinner in town than the one prepared by executive chef Jeff Hollen as part of Otesaga's modified American plan (breakfast and dinner are included). The French-American menu changes daily, and gentlemen must wear jackets in the main dining room. The hotel's Hawkeye Bar & Grill is less formal. For years, "leatherstocking" described most of the town's fare, but three newer eateries—Gabriella's on the Square (607-547-8000), The Blue Mingo Grill (607-547-7496) and Hoffman Lane Bistro (607-547-7055)— have changed that. Don't miss Gabriella's panfried lump crab and crawfish cakes, or the Blue Mingo's grilled salmon with red-pepper marmalade. Carnivores will thrill to Hoffman Lane's inspired game preparations. For the budget-conscious, Rachael Ray from the Food Network's $40 A Day show digs breakfast at the American Hotel (192 Main St, Sharon Springs, 17 mi out of town), Danny's Market for a fresh food lunch, and the BBQ at Brook's House Of BBQ (5560 State Hwy 7, Oneonta, 607-432-1782, www.brooksbbq.com, 17 mi out of town). The Chicago Tribune likes the tiny Cooperstown Diner (www.cooperstowndiner.com) for breakfast. Alex & Ika Restaurant (www.alexandika.com) and Nicoletta's Italian Cafe (www.nicolettasitaliancafe.com) were recommended by locals.
DRINKING
About 5 miles outside of town, on the site of an old hops farm, sits the Ommegang Brewery (607-547-8184), which produces a trio of acclaimed Belgian-style ales. Take the $4 tour if you're up for a taste. Cooperstown's best bar is the tap room at the Tunnicliff Inn on Pioneer Street, known to locals as The Pit (607-547-9860). Sit before the stone fireplace, reminisce about baseball, and savor a micro-brewed pint of Old Slugger Pale.
FAT GUY'S MOVIES TO RENT BEFORE YOU GO: Heading to the Baseball Hall of Fame? Face it, there has never been, and never will be, a greater baseball movie than Redford as Roy Hobbs in The Natural. Bull Durham is a close 2nd. And upstate New York screams of guy-movie-disguised-as-chick-flick Beautiful Girls. The story of every guy who heads back to his small hometown to hang out with his high school buddies over Christmas. You'll see pieces of yourself in every scene as these guys booze, ice fish, and mock each other's failures. I have yet to meet a guy who doesn't develop a crush on Natalie Portman's "old soul" 14-year-old character Marty, and a sexy role by Uma Thurman doesn't hurt. Throw in Rosie O'Donnell's only decent movie monologue ever, and you've got yourself a modern classic, but definitely not a chick flick.